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DEA Raids Medical Pot Shop in California

By Jeralyn, Section Crime Policy
Posted on Thu May 07, 2009 at 02:40:34 PM EST
Tags: marijuana reform (all tags)
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Looks like the medical pot raids under Obama and AG Eric Holder are continuing. The latest victim is the Green Cross in Bakersfield. It was raided yesterday as a search warrant was executed and there are reports of three arrests.

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    DEA Raids Medical Pot Shop in California | 17 comments (17 topical)

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    thats very (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu May 07, 2009 at 02:42:46 PM EST
    depressing.  some change we can believe in.

    That was campaign Obama... (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by kdog on Thu May 07, 2009 at 02:48:36 PM EST
    this is President Obama...may as well be a totally different dude.

    Hey B.O....what does this say about the people of California?...:)

    Parent

    We're not truly hopeless (5.00 / 1) (#11)
    by hollyfromca on Thu May 07, 2009 at 03:46:42 PM EST
    Arnold was out there yesterday saying he wants to at least open dialogue about legalizing medical marijuana--he figures there are about 1.3 billion per year in revenues to be had.  Not sure if that is in taxes or in money saved from throwing people in prisons.  And since our car taxes, personal income taxes and sales taxes are all going up this year, it might sound good to a lot of people.  Maybe we can get the snack industry to help us organize :)

    Parent
    Wait till the drug warriors... (5.00 / 1) (#12)
    by kdog on Thu May 07, 2009 at 03:53:00 PM EST
    whip out the old pictures of Arnold smoking fatties...I can see the ONDCP commercial now.

    Or cue Barack..."I don't know what this says about the Governor of California, but we're not considering legalizing marijuana".

    I'm of the opinion that our collective head is stuck up our collective arse for a long time coming...but its nice to hear anyway.

    Parent

    Meant to say (none / 0) (#16)
    by hollyfromca on Thu May 07, 2009 at 06:43:46 PM EST
    Recreational marijuana.  Not medical.  They already played the clips of the young Arnold on his back smoking saying it wasn't a drug, it was a leaf, again last night.  Politically, Obama doesn't have a choice.  But there are also people like Barney Frank who don't have the political problems that an Obama would have.  

    Parent
    That's the problem... (5.00 / 1) (#17)
    by kdog on Thu May 07, 2009 at 06:54:22 PM EST
    only a Barney Frank can say something about it because of "politics".  Otherwise known as bullsh*t.

    That ain't gonna cut it...and the states can't do d*ck because of the interstate commerce hustle.

    Parent

    Well, (none / 0) (#3)
    by eric on Thu May 07, 2009 at 02:56:28 PM EST
    according to the story, the Sheriff's office did the raiding, with the DEA watching.  Apparently, the Sheriff is claiming to believe that the shop was selling for reasons other than medical.

    I have no idea whether any of that is actually true, but it is clear that this isn't something that Holder ordered.

    they assisted, didn't just watch (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by Jeralyn on Thu May 07, 2009 at 03:16:48 PM EST
    according to the article. Also, according to the sheriff,

    But, he said, dispensaries that sell marijuana for a profit should be expected to be treated like other drug dealers.

    Why did they need DEA? That costs time and money. Yes, it's up to Obama and Holder to stop allowing the misuse of DEA personnel and or tax dollars for medical pot raids.

    Parent

    Agreed (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by eric on Thu May 07, 2009 at 03:39:23 PM EST
    that the DEA shouldn't even be part of this.

    Parent
    How the heck.... (none / 0) (#8)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Thu May 07, 2009 at 03:20:14 PM EST
    ...do they determine if a profit is being made?  Wouldn't that take some sort of financial audit to determine the costs of production/packaging/operations?

    Parent
    I think it says (none / 0) (#4)
    by Bemused on Thu May 07, 2009 at 02:57:16 PM EST
     his Justice Department believes some of them might be fraudulently exploiting  a law supposedly intended to provide necessary medicine to the sick by providing unecessary recreational drugs despite being warned doing so would lead to prosecution.

      I'm all for legalizing marijuana for recreational use but i'm not all for crooks making money under false pretenses.

    hard to imagine (none / 0) (#5)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu May 07, 2009 at 03:11:34 PM EST
    why they would even do that.  its easy enough to get a doctor to give you permission.

    greed?

    Parent

    where did it say that? (none / 0) (#7)
    by Jeralyn on Thu May 07, 2009 at 03:17:09 PM EST


    Parent
    It didn't say that (none / 0) (#9)
    by Bemused on Thu May 07, 2009 at 03:21:35 PM EST
      I was responding to the rhetorical question to Obama about people in California.

      Personally, I have a lot more respect and sympathy for honest drug dealers than I do scammers pretending to assist the ill.

    Bottom Line (none / 0) (#13)
    by Angry Black Guy on Thu May 07, 2009 at 03:57:02 PM EST
    If you are selling weed to people without prescriptions (or those having bogus ones) the state and the feds are going to put you in jail.

    If you sell for profit in this county you are going to jail.

    And that seems right because doing that is against the law.

    That's why the immediate reaction to these stories (Obama is going back on his word!!!!!) makes little sense without, you know, facts.

    The state exception for weed cooperatives is at issue, and no one here has said anything, or provided any facts, about whether these folks were complying with the exception.

    How about we start there?

    The only facts we know (none / 0) (#14)
    by Bemused on Thu May 07, 2009 at 04:09:06 PM EST
    are the general ones that state and federal law enforcement agencies are investigating some medical marijuana dispensers.

      We don't know for certain for what suspected offenses they are investigating (theoretically, although unlikely if DEA is involved, it could be for tax violations or the like). The facts about how the med marijuana outfits are dong business and whether they are breaking laws come out later in the process.

      Some folks, though seem to believe the weed sellers should be off-limits for investigation. I don't.

      I think the whole farce just goes to show how perverted the system is. It appears we have seen some states pass laws which essentially give one class of sellers of recreational drugs a huge competitive advantage over another knowing full well they  are competing overwhelmingly for the same type of customers-- prople who like to get high. I think it is absurd to construct a phony schem premised on aiding the needy and ill when everyone knows the score. It just breeds contept for the law and those who make it and enforce it.

      Either make marijuana legal and regulate  it like alcohol or make it just as illegal for a sham clinic to sell it to a stoner as it is for anyone else to do so.

    Doesn't the DEA always say it (none / 0) (#15)
    by oculus on Thu May 07, 2009 at 06:29:05 PM EST
    is not the "lead agency."   Did a federal magistrate issue the search warrant or a state court?  

    DEA Raids Medical Pot Shop in California | 17 comments (17 topical)

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